MCP gives in to MEC on by-election decision
Opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has given in to the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) decision to hold a by-election instead of a re-run in Lilongwe City South East Constituency as ordered by the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal.
MCP president Lazarus Chakwera said yesterday his party will participate in the forthcoming by-elections slated for June 6 and challenged that his party will win.
He said: “Let me assure you that MCP will participate in the by-elections and let me say that we will win. All we wanted by writing the commission was for them to refer to the Supreme Court’s ruling.”
MCP wrote MEC to follow the court ruling on conducting a re-run in Lilongwe City South East and not a by-election as the electoral body has announced.
The party had earlier argued that it was not proper for the electoral body to change the meaning of the court ruling.
The Supreme Court ordered MEC to conduct a re-run of the disputed parliamentary election after the electoral body’s decision declaring Bentry Namasasu of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) winner of the May 20 2014 contest with 10 956 votes was challenged by Ulemu Msungama of MCP who got 10 854.
MEC dismissed the MCP demand for a re-run in the constituency, insisting it will hold a by-election.
Earlier this week, MEC spokesperson Sangwani Mwafulirwa said the electoral body’s decision for a fresh poll was based on Section 100 (4) of the Parliamentary and Presidential Elections (PPE) Act which calls for such in a situation where the court nullifies an election.
In its protest letter to MEC dated April 5 and signed by deputy secretary general Eisenhower Mkaka, MCP argued that it found MEC’s conduct strange and feared a wrong precedent being set if court’s decisions could be interpreted and changed anyhow.
But president of Political Scientists Association in Malawi Joseph Chunga said while he appreciated MEC’s position, there is confusion because the law does not stipulate what exactly a re-run is.
By running a by-election, it means the constituency will have to follow the normal elections procedure where voters will be registered and aspirants will have to submit nomination papers.
